Online Chat - an antisocial tool?

The Internet, as we know, has changed our lives very much. We are able to access vast information without having to travel, and we get to meet new friends from across the globe. We are also able to be in touch with family members and relatives who live abroad.
One of the drawbacks of the Internet is that by using chat applications like Yahoo, MSN, AOL, MIRC or ICQ, users spend more time in the confines of their homes that going out to mix with REAL humans. This, I believe will affect their speaking and social skills. They may eventually retract into the comfort of their shell, and just chat with virtual people. On top of that, it affects health too.
What's your comment or experience on this?

These channels of communications are excellent if used to the benefit of the partners. But, some times, people tend to get addicted to those sites, and gets to waste a lot of valuable time. One has to be aware of the benefits in the proper light of things.

Well, thanks for all the comments. Controlled use of chat applications is not a waste of time, though. It has become a hobby, something that we do just to get away from our routines for a while. In fact, any kind of addiction leads to a waste of time, and even a waste of life.

In many cases expecialy with the teenagers yes I do agree with you but that its not the case for most people. I did use chat rooms ages ago not because I cold not communicate or all that but because I worked different hours and could not go out a lot or I was too tired to do so at the end of the day I met lots of people that way including my husband who was in a different continent and I would have never met him without the internet. With the young kids its not so much the chat rooms that bother me its you tube and things like that where they send videos and they do crazy things to show off.

When I first started using a home computer back in the late 90's I though chatting online with people from all around the world online was the coolest thing ever!..lol
I use to go to MSN chat every night for hours and I hung out in certain chat rooms, then I moved to msn messenger and yahoo IM. Now it's very rare that I ever use IM's to chat with anymore..I have a child now and I have a man that wants to spend time with me sometimes . I seriously don't have the time to chat online all night like I use to years ago.

I agree, when I used to chat online it would get too much that I would run away from the PC. I think if you have social skills, those skills would not be so easily diminished, however I do agree that it definitely has an adverse effect on one's health. Human body is not designed to sit down for long periods and sitting in front of the pc for hours at a time does not do your joints any good, not to mention your eye sight.
The worst part of me is that it makes you downright lazy. The more you sit in front of the PC chatting the less you want to do a physical activity. I'm just glad I don't go anywhere near chatrooms anymore.

MSN is a useful tool. You may not be actually speaking in person but it gives you chance to talk. They are still real people typing what is said , i believe it just a different medium for doing it. OK so maybe it is not as personal as a phone call or meeting someone in person but its great.

I strictly disagree with you,However in this world every matter has its own advantage and disdavantage, but we are humans we must khave our own limitation to do anything. We can't stop others until they realise to stop it.As you mentioned about wasting infront of time virtually is not agreeable. People are browsing some times simply for entertainnment ok

You have to consider the fact that it DOES take a little bit of social ability to talk online. I believe that when someone is anti-social, they don't really want to interact with others, PERIOD - no matter WHAT medium they use to interact with the people (phone, internet, real life, etc). I agree with the first person when they say that we ARE real people behind these computers - it's not as if we're robots or something. . But I do agree with you to a certain extent. I do think that "talking" online is MUCH easier and wayyy more stress-free than talking in person or via phone. When we're online..We can really think through what we're going to say/type and whatever social awkwardness we have usually disappears. Not to mention the fact that we can talk to so many of our friends online, too - so it's not as if we're always talking to absolute STRANGERS online, you know?
*shrugs*. I agree and disagree. I can't explain it. lol.

im seeing what your saying but i don't agree with you. First the people your talking to behind the screen name ARE real people. Second Ive meet some of my closest friends online. third Ive seen plenty of healthy people that use those services. Now...for some people i agree...not such a good idea if that's all they are doing. see i use balance in using the net. I do a lot of cleaning and tidying up. and i go over to friends homes a lot on my days off. so its really balance that's the name of the game.